Little Bird's day by Sally Morgan

Ill. by Johnny Warrkatja Malibiir. Magabala Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925768923.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Themes: Aboriginal themes, Birds, Humour. Little Bird welcomes the day as the sun rises, ready to 'sing the world alive' as he watches those that have not risen with the sun, is buffeted by the wind blowing the trees and leaves, flies with the clouds up high, joins other feathery friends, opens his wings to the rain to wash his body, then flies into the dusk. With night falling, Little Bird sits on a branch ready to roost with the other birds, worn out from their day of activity.
The seemingly simple text allows children to see the way the day unfolds, teaching them the words for many parts of their environment and for the parts of the day.
Little Bird's Day teaches young children about the morning sun, the time to wake up, the day where you frolic with friends, but must wash at some time, the dusk when things start to slow down, the evening when sleep comes.
This charming story will captivate all readers, watching and learning of Little Bird's day, recognising their own participation as the day unfolds.
Malibirr's glorious illustrations are spell binding as he uses traditional colours (red, brown, ochre, black and white) as well as motifs (closely packed lines and large panels of white outlined colour) to show the Little Bird at his tasks during the day. Readers will love looking at the humour in the illustrations, highlighting the bird's interaction with the other animals and rest with him when he falls asleep on the branch with the other birds.
Malibirr is the inaugural winner of the Kestin Indigenous Illustrator's Award.
Fran Knight